Are Outdoor Handrails Required? Safety Rules Every Homeowner Should Know

We get it. You want to save some money, and you’re pretty mobile. So, you’re not too worried about falling down the stairs. Do you really need to buy a handrail for your outdoor stairs, or can you just skip that expense? 

This depends on the situation, and we’re going to go into all the details to help you out.

Spoiler: outdoor handrails are often required by law.

Are Outdoor Handrails Required? 

In most situations, you are going to need a handrail for any outdoor staircases. 

According to the International Residential Code, it is required to have a handrail on any staircase that has four or more stairs. So, unless you have a couple of stairs leading onto your patio or some other tiny staircase, you’ll need a railing. 

However, that is the IRC’s requirement. You also have to consider all your local building code requirements. Your local requirements might include certain rail dimensions, exemptions for staircases in certain areas or with certain purposes, anchoring requirements, and more. 

Unfortunately, building codes vary from municipality to municipality. So, it’s something you have to check in your specific area. Luckily, you can find what you need on your local government’s website or by simply Googling “handrail requirements in” with your city at the end of it. 

If you’re handling a project with a professional contractor involved, they’ll know exactly what you need when you go to order your handrail. 

Why Do You Have to Have a Handrail on Outdoor Stairs? 

This might seem like a bit of overreach to demand people have handrails on their own private property. However, there are real consequences to not having them. Both your physical health and your legal record are at stake. As well as the safety of others. 

1. Code Compliance When Selling

It is highly unlikely that your property is going to randomly be inspected and your missing handrail is going to cause legal problems out of nowhere, but when you go to sell it, the buyer will hire inspectors. 

If you’re not complying with building codes, they will mark that down. You’ll need to upgrade them to current building codes promptly. If you don’t comply, not only can you face consequences, but you’re also not going to pass the inspection and sell the house.

Not to mention, not complying with building codes is going to compound the other problems we list. 

2. Liability for Injuries

If someone falls down your staircase, your lack of a railing is going to make it very easy for them to win a lawsuit. 

It’s supposed to be there for safety reasons; you didn’t have one, and all they have to say is that they didn’t have a safety railing to hold onto. Now, you’re legally responsible for their fall, and you’re going to be paying their medical bills. 

This is worse than not having an interior railing. Outdoor areas are often accessed by visitors who are both expected and unexpected. Your delivery driver might descend the stairs to your home and fall, or the police might have to enter your property and suffer a fall. 

The outside of your home is a lot less controllable than the interior, and a lot more random people can end up falling. 

3. Personal Injury

There might not be legal consequences for falling down your own stairs, but you will have to deal with the pain of the injury and your medical bills. 

You might think that you’re comfortable with your stairs and don’t need a railing, but that type of comfort is often what leads to accidental falls. You miss a step one day, or you’re not feeling right while you go to check the mail, and you go toppling down the stairs. 

4. Delays in Emergencies

Imagine your outdoor staircase leads to your home, you end up dealing with a medical crisis, or there’s a fire and firefighters are rushing to help you, but the unsafe conditions of your staircase lead to those professionals falling. 

Not only are you liable for their fall like you would be for anyone else, but now they’re unable to aid you, because they’re in a crisis of their own. 

5. Personal Distress

It’s not just random people that you have to worry about falling. What if you have loved ones over for the holidays, and they fall because you don’t have a railing? 

Even if they don’t sue as a random visitor would, you would likely feel very bad for causing that. Plus, they might sue anyway. It’s a common occurrence, and they have the right to.

Getting a Handrail That Meets Code Requirements

Safety codes might be annoying, and you might have to pay a little out of pocket to have a handrail installed, but those requirements are there for a reason. Outdoor handrails are required by law because they protect you, your family, and people who come to your property. 

If you don’t meet those code requirements, there are a lot of potential consequences that are far more expensive than simply buying a handrail. 

Especially since we make getting the perfect outdoor handrail easy. 

At Integrated Metal Designs, we specialize in making custom handrails for both interior and exterior staircases, walkways, and more. No matter what the building requirements are in your area, we can make you a fully customized handrail that meets your exact needs. 

We offer a wide variety of materials for you to choose from, designs that match any property, and, of course, we can make the railing to the exact specifications you need. 

This makes it easy for you to get a compliant handrail that perfectly matches your home’s aesthetic and your personal taste, and you can tweak the design so the price is right, too. All you need is an idea of what you want and the specifications you have to meet, and we do the rest. 

We serve commercial and residential customers, and we also provide interior railings to protect you inside the house, too. 

Don’t risk hefty bills for not having an outdoor handrail. Contact us and get a handrail you’ll love!